A General Radiotelephone Operator License (PG), or better known as GROL, is required to adjust, maintain, or internally repair FCC licensed radiotelephone transmitters in the aviation, maritime, and international fixed public radio services. The GROL is, by far, the most popular - accounting for more than 80% of all commercial radio operator licenses issued by the FCC. The GROL conveys all
of the operating authority of the Marine Radio Operator Permit (MP).

It is also required to operate the following:

any maritime land radio station or compulsorily equipped ship radiotelephone station operating with more than 1500 watts of peak envelope power.

voluntarily equipped ship and aeronautical (including aircraft) stations with more than 1000 watts of peak envelope power (or pleasure maritime HF radio stations).

To qualify, you must:

be a legal resident of (or otherwise eligible for employment in) the United States; and

be able to receive and transmit spoken messages in English; and

pass a written and/or telegraphy examination(s) as described below under Examinations.

There are seven written elements in the COLEM System numbered 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. All questions are multiple choice with four possible answers - only one of which is correct. Here is a list of the written examination elements, the number of questions within each question pool, the number of exam questions and the passing mark. You need to get 75% of the questions correct in order
to pass.

Element

Overview

Questions
in Pool

Questions
in Exam

Passing
Mark

1

Basic radio law and operating practice

144

24

18

3

Electronic fundamentals and techniques required to adjust, repair and maintain radio transmitters and receivers. The exam includes questions from the the following categories: operating procedures, radio wave propagation, radio practice, electrical principles, circuit components, practical circuits, signals and emissions, antennas and feed lines.